Schools
In-School Coronavirus Transmission Likely At Fairfield Woods
The Fairfield middle school had its third consecutive remote learning day Tuesday, after 22 staffers were unable to come to work.
FAIRFIELD, CT — A Fairfield middle school that is believed to have been the site of in-school coronavirus transmission remained closed Tuesday after numerous staff members were unable to come to work, according to officials.
Fairfield Woods Middle School switched to remote learning for two days last week to allow for deep cleaning after five students and five staffers were confirmed to have the virus and another 14 students and seven staff members were required to go into quarantine.
“At this time, we believe some of the current positive cases may be related and it is very likely in-school transmission occurred at Woods,” Superintendent Mike Cummings said Sunday in a message to parents. “It is also very likely that mitigation protocols broke down.”
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A person with an undiagnosed case of the virus was at Fairfield Woods while they were infectious and later developed symptoms in school, according to Fairfield Health Department Director Sands Cleary.
“This resulted in additional six cases among those who were close contacts of the initial case or the additional cases,” Cleary said in the message to parents, adding that new measures will be taken to ensure families are educated about at-home virus screening and how to avoid close contact.
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Fairfield Woods was set to reopen Tuesday, after Martin Luther King Jr. Day, until 22 staffers were unable to come to school, forcing Woods to pivot to remote learning.
“We are making this shift because of the staffing impact on school operations, not concerns about in-school transmission or exposure to COVID-19,” Cummings said Tuesday morning in a message to parents.
In a message to families and staff across the district Tuesday afternoon, Cummings said the 22 staff members had a variety of reasons not to come to work, including isolation, quarantine, pending test results and “reasons having nothing to do with COVID-19.”
Fairfield’s Board of Education was scheduled to discuss the situation at Fairfield Woods in a special meeting 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
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